SALT LAKE CITY — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints unveiled its new 39,800-square-foot Temple Square Visitors’ Center to the media Monday, offering an immersive, preview of the faith’s sacred spaces ahead of its public opening on May 18.
Designed to demystify the church’s temple practices, the facility serves as a significant milestone leading up to the Salt Lake Temple completion and open house, which is scheduled to run from April through October 2027 following massive seismic upgrades. The new center focuses heavily on Jesus Christ, aiming to explain the purpose of temples to both members and the broader public.
“The new visitors’ center is a window into our sacred covenants with Christ,” said Dieter F. Uchtdorf, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. “It helps people of all backgrounds understand the role our temples play and why they matter to our members and to the communities.”
A cornerstone of the new facility is “Inside a Temple,” a 30-minute guided tour through full-scale replicas of sacred rooms, including a welcome desk, baptistry, instruction room, sealing room and celestial room. While these are not exact copies of the adjacent Salt Lake Temple interiors, they are constructed to authentic temple standards. Rich Sutton, a senior director in the church’s Temple Department, described the exhibit as a “perpetual temple open house experience” that provides a peaceful, worshipful atmosphere.
The center also features a motorized scale model of the historic Salt Lake Temple that opens to reveal its interior layout, alongside a display of 11 miniature temples representing the church’s global footprint. To ensure the exhibits resonate with visitors of all backgrounds, the church collaborated with design firm THG Creative. CEO Phil Hettema noted the resulting narrative relies on the personal, heartfelt experiences of everyday church members rather than feeling like a lecture.
Artistic centerpieces include a replica of Bertel Thorvaldsen’s “Christus” and a newly commissioned Carrara marble sculpture by Swiss artist Christian Bolt titled “Come Unto Me.” Outside, landscaped gardens feature new bronze statues depicting scenes from Christ’s ministry, offering a quiet, reflective outdoor space for all patrons.
The visitors’ center will operate daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. General admission is completely free to the public, though the guided “Inside a Temple” experience requires advance booking via the Temple Square app or website.
Church officials also announced reservations for the highly anticipated tours of the renovated Salt Lake Temple will be available starting September 1, 2026.
The Church reaffirmed that there will be no cost for the tours during the open house, which will run from April to October 2027, and will allow those of any faith to see inside the famed Temple. The tours inside the Temple will be the first in over a century.